St. Ann's Warehouse

Eight years after conceiving of the idea to convert a former tobacco warehouse into a new theatrical home at 45 Water Street, five years after getting a lease to the site, four years after going to court over it, and two years after breaking ground, St. Ann’s Warehouse held a ribbon cutting for its new facility in Dumbo on Tuesday.

The 25,000-square-foot converted landmark underwent a $31.6 million renovation to become the new cultural anchor of Brooklyn Bridge Park. Long in the making, the Tobacco Warehouse is St. Ann’s Warehouse’s first air-conditioned location. “It evolved over 36 years,” project manager David Belt said of the group at the ribbon cutting.

Like just about every building associated with Brooklyn Bridge Park, the construction of the theater was fraught with controversy. A 2011 court case brought by local preservationists and community organizations held that both the warehouse and the nearby Empire Stores were on federal parkland, making private development illegal. A vocal opposition spoke out against losing the roofless ruin as public space.

While St. Ann’s Warehouse ultimately lost the suit — a judge ruled that the area was indeed in a public park — the company came to an agreement with the BBP and preservationists. It took state legislation, approval from the National Park Service, and a community planning process to get to the point where the theater group could kick off construction.

Today, the design team feels they have done their part in preserving the space, with renovations prioritizing preservation of the building’s original 1850s brick walls.

Inside, simplicity reigns, with painstaking care evident in the choice of materials and details used to bring the former warehouse up to date with a roof and real floors. Prior to its privatization, the space was used as a walled, open-air public destination and popular picnic spot, briefly hosting Smorgasburg.

A ribbon of expensive glass bricks — $40 each — now connect the historic walls to the new roof, and a ceiling ringed by catwalks. Soundproof doors protect performances from the noise of the streets beyond.

Yet, despite having some of the higher ceilings in Brooklyn and a prime waterfront location, the theater remains small and quaint compared to the surrounding city. 

“The space between the bridges is magical,” architect Jonathan Marvel said of the Tobacco Warehouse. “You’re dwarfed by the bridges.”

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[Photos: Hannah Frishberg]

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